Running Chafe…

I can actually hear all of you who suffer, cringing just at the mention of this 5 letter word…  Yip I’m sure there is not 1 of you runners out there who dont’ know the discomfort that chafe causes, my own experiences being few and far between but last years Comrades did add a new level of discomfort to my day.

This article on the Runners World website is fantastic and seems to really say all there is about it – and more (if this is possible).

Check it out and let me know what your remedies are…

Leave a Comment / January 18th, 2010 / Injuries

The People Factor in Running

On Sunday I took part in the Bay-to-Bay 30km race which goes from Clifton to Hout Bay and back again.  What appealed to me about this race was partly the route; which takes you all along a very pretty stretch of coastal road; AND because you can do it as part of a relay team which makes the distance a little easier to swallow, especially considering I haven’t run any races in a while…

Jo did the first half which is quite tough in that it is at a steady incline for about 80% of the way, I took over in Hout Bay which takes you straight up for about 1.5km and then on a gentle downhill all the way to the finish.

I had this idiotic grin on my face the entire way; I’d forgotten how fun races can be!!  NO I’m not alluding to being super fit and so races are no hassle, I’m talking about the people factor of races – you get to see all sorts of people at different mental and physical stages.

Lets take yesterday for example, I ran past 2 guys with the number 70 on their shirt (this is their age grouping) – imagine running at that age!!  I also saw people who had clearly been hibernating in Europe somewhere because their skin was so pale I could almost see the colour of their meat and the guy with the hair jersey… yip this man has more body hair than the Yeti which must count against him in terms of wind dynamics.

I ran past people who were having a good run and people consumed by running rage (a special type of bad mood you get while running, a bit like PMS for runners).  I ran a short way with someone who was doing 30km for the first time and heard the excitement in her voice as we chatted about her first Comrades this year.

All the people related things I’d forgotten about, just seeing faces you recognise but haven’t necessarily spoken to before, seems to lift my soul and make me excited for the next 4 and a half months I will be spending on the road.

If you don’t know what I am talking about and you are not a runner, then get yourself a pair of shoes and some gear that doesn’t chafe and get out there to see for yourself.  For those of you who run and still don’t see it – open your eyes, there are little gems all over the place:  in the people, the scenery or just in the way running makes you feel!!!

Hair jersey vs wind dynamics

Photo Credit

One Comment / January 13th, 2010 / Reluctant runner, Running

Happy New Year everyone!!

I know I’m a bit late in wishing all of you but things have been rather hectic around here with my family holiday, job resignation and the first tentative steps towards my own business – but I’m back not just to the blog but it seems to running too…

My motivation was non-existent towards the end of last year which led me to solicit a couple of running partners, Nicola you all know from here and here, and Jo who was one of my original running buddies AND who has decided she would like to run this years Comrades!!.  I’ve also got a few part-timers on board Shaun, Sasha, Lauren, Dalena and whoever else will be running with me over the next few months as I train for the 2010 Comrades.

Good to be back to writing and running and to life in general after the big slump which took over at the end of last year, I hope to keep you entertained with my tales of running in preparation for the 2010 Comrades.

One Comment / January 11th, 2010 / Reluctant runner

Stats from the Comrades Association

I’ve just received some stats for the 2010 race from the Comrades Association which I’d like to share…

Total entrants to date are 21 221, this number will be revised after the next round of entries which starts on January 30th.

Of the 21 221 entries only 24% are female!!  That seems pretty low but the average is only 18% so I think that is a fabulous increase – well done ladies!!

The total number of novices entered are 5 775 – that’s a lot of sweat and anxiety on the starting line from the first timers…

The total number of countries taking part in the Comrades 2010 is 61 with the UK, USA, Australia, Brazil and Germany sending the most runners.

I think next years race is going to be spectacular, I get Goosebumps just thinking about it, I hope you guys do too!

Leave a Comment / December 15th, 2009 / Reluctant runner

NYC Marathon in 2010

Anyone running the NYC half marathon in March 2010??

If you are and you would like to run for a cause but just haven’t managed to find one, then you should consider the Fresh Air Fund.  I’ve written about them before here and I think the work they do is amazing.

If you are interested then email me or get in touch with them through their website – I’d of course love to be there to run but with only 3 months to save enough money to get there, I don’t think it will be a possibility – this year anyway

Photo Credit

Leave a Comment / December 14th, 2009 / Fund Raising, Reluctant runner

The Masai Mara Marathon Follow-up

A few months back I had to come up with what my ideal African holiday would include – the Masai Mara Marathon being one of them, then a couple of weeks ago I got an email from Chris who said that in fact this year, in conjunction with the Fairmont Rotary Club, they managed to hold this event.

It is only a half marathon distance but you get to run through the Olchorro Oirowua Conservancy.  Armed rangers are staggered along the route to keep an eye out for dangerous animals which adds to the excitement of the runners – or at least it would add to my excitement…

The cut-off is 2 hours because of the logistics surrounding a marathon of this nature and watering stations are 5km apart, not what we are used to but then again running with the possibility of being chased by something which eats meat is also not usual.

The aim of creating this marathon was to raise awareness and funds for the Mara ecosystems as well as a way to address the plight of retired Olympic legends, some of them from this area.  Sports tourism is also a sustainable way to bring money into the community, contributing to better living conditions and other facilities.

Next year the marathon is going to be held on November 20th so get your entries in early to avoid disappointment.

Leave a Comment / December 11th, 2009 / Half-marathon, Reluctant runner

Comrades Entries to Re-open!!

Yes, you read correctly – I have just received word that the Comrades entries will be opened to allow for 2,000 extra runners!!!

Entries open on Saturday,  January 30th 2010 at 9am and the ONLY place you can get an entry is at a Mr Price Clothing, Sport and Home stores – so this excludes non-South Africans, unless you are able to bribe someone to do it for you….

Only 2,000 – so if you were one of the unlucky ones NOT to get an entry then I’d suggest you get to any Mr Price store, entry form and money in hand, BEFORE 9am!!!

Read the full story here.

Leave a Comment / November 26th, 2009 / Comrades Marathon

Drinking Water while Running…

On Wednesday I was invited to an event at the Sports Science Institute as a thank-you for the research project I took part in during the Comrades.  Tim Noakes was one of the speakers and he had some very interesting things to say about the theory that says if you drink too much water, it leaches your system of all the electrolytes,  basically putting your body  in great danger.

Now I’ve always believed this theory – I never knew where it came from and I guess I just believed it because it sounded pretty logical to me, however Prof Noakes explained using his research findings and a very clever slide show – that this theory had absolutely no scientific grounding and was really just part of a marketing ploy hatched by Gatorade and its scientists (who just happened to be the same scientists who advised the US Army on liquid consumption and what the daily recommended allowances should be).

I’m totally simplifying many years worth of work here but it was fascinating to see how a theory can develop and become ‘common knowledge’ without anyone even questioning it.  Prof Nokes went on to say that the human body is incredibly clever at making sure there is balance  – the balance of water and salt being very important for runners performance – or so we thought…

Science has proven that it is virtually impossible to leach the body of salt, our bodies are constantly trying to get rid of the salt we consume (in excess) so this is something we don’t need to worry about.

He also pointed out that our bodies evolved in such a way that conserving water is something which it does exceptionally well – so if your body realises it is going to be exercising for long periods of time without any water, it recalculates to make sure that there WILL be enough by curbing urination and sweating – the bottom line being, drink when you are thirsty, not according to some ‘rule’.

Prof Noakes concluded by saying that the only thing which plays a role in enhancing performance, is carb intake  – so as long as you are consuming enough carbohydrate to keep your energy levels up, you shouldn’t have to worry about water.

Makes you think a bit about the other ‘theories’ which we believe when it comes to long distance running, doesn’t it…

Photo Credit

3 Comments / November 20th, 2009 / Comrades Marathon, Nutrition, Reluctant runner, Research

Comrades Accommodation

I know we have just recovered from the frenzy that surrounded signing up for the 2010 Comrades but today I’m here to tell you that you need to start thinking about accommodation for the night before the race and the night after.

For those of you who don’t really know the lay of the land in Pietermaritzburg and Durban, you need to have a look at a map or ask someone who does (yes, yes you can ask me) so that you can start planning.

There are 2 options here:

• Stay in Pietermaritzburg the night before the race and in Durban after, OR
• Stay in Durban the night before and catch one of the organized buses to Pietermaritzburg on race day

There are a few logistical problems associated with each option – in Maritzburg the Royal Show is on the same weekend as the Comrades, so accommodation is already hard to come by.
If you stay in Durban, the buses to Pietermaritzburg leave horribly early – like 3am kind of early – which makes the already challenging day very, very long.

Luckily my mom is super organized and has already sorted out accommodation for us in Pietermaritzburg, I would suggest those of you who would like to stay as close to the starting line as possible, start looking NOW!  Have a look on the Maritzburg tourism website and see what they have listed.

If you would prefer staying in Durban I would suggest you figure out where the pick-up points of the buses will be so that you don’t have to stress about getting there on time – I can guarantee you that the less stressful you make your morning, the better the start to your day!

Photo Credit

4 Comments / November 18th, 2009 / Comrades Marathon, First-Timers, Reluctant runner

Running Wardrobe…

This blog post has very little to do about running and a lot to do about bargain shopping – granted the bargains which drew me to this site were running related…  At the moment my running wardrobe needs a major overhaul and to replace everything I have for newer versions of the same thing is not going to be cheap!!

I was told to check out Luxury4Less which deals with hugely discounted brand items from across all ranges – now I’m not one of those runners who has to be in branded clothing from head to toe – I’ve just found what I am comfortable in and like wearing, especially when I have to be wearing said clothing item for a couple of hours at a time…

Let’s take the skirt I run in for example – it’s a tennis skirt made by Adidas and over the years I’ve tried other makes but the Adidas one just fits perfectly and gives me no chafe, no matter how much time I spend in it.  Similarly the tops I have (also tennis tops) also from Adidas are only starting to lose their elasticity now – after 3 years of hard wear and tear, not just on the tennis court but at the gym and of course on the road.

Luxury 4 Less gets limited amounts of stock (and not just clothing items but perfumes, holidays, cosmetics etc) and sells them for discounts which range from 30% to 60% off the retail price, and sometimes even more!!  I remember signing up to a couple of these sites when I lived in the States because I’d just discovered the wonders of online shopping but couldn’t always afford the things I wanted.

At the moment Luxury 4 Less has Polaroid sunnies in stock which are going for between R350 and R450 (that’s a 35% saving) – an accessory I have yet to purchase and must do in haste since the wrinkles around my eyes are apparently from me not wearing sunglasses while out on long runs (I was told Polaroid is the best, any objections??).

Their stock rotates so I’m going to be keeping a close eye on this site for any more bargains!!  If you are keen to check it out it is an invite only site so send me your email address and I’ll send you an invite – this is also for South Africans only I’m afraid…

I’m sure there are other runners out there who have brand preferences – and aren’t sponsored:), what are yours??

2 Comments / November 17th, 2009 / Reluctant runner